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THE STATES

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Adamawa
No fewer than 102, 560 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
were registered by the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA) between January and March this year, its Executive Secretary, Malam Haruna Hamman, has said.
Hamman said last Thursday in Yola that most of those registered were victims of various insurgents attacks and other conflicts within and outside the state.
The scribe explained that the displaced persons were spread across the 21 local government areas of the state with Madagali local government, which is on the border with Borno, leading with 31,666 IDPs.
He commended the state and local governments for their support to those displaced by the conflicts, and called for more assistance to them and the communities hosting them.

Benue
Assistant Parish Priest, Saint Theresa’s Catholic Parish,
Makurdi, Reverend Fr. Isaac Shityo, yesterday advised Nigerians to seek God’s intervention for the rescue of the Chibok girls.
Shityo, who said this at a sermon yesterday in Makurdi, lamented over the situation where people were insulting and criticising security agents following the delay in rescuing the abducted girls.
“Boko Haram is not the only body committing crime in our society today. Here in Makurdi, we see and hear all kinds of crime perpetrated by our children. Are they too insurgents? “As Christians, we need to go to any length to bring up our children in the best ways possible,” he said.
Shityo said that God and the country’s forefathers who paid supreme prices for the unity of Nigeria would not forgive the present generation if they destroyed the legacy left.

Borno
The Borno State Government yesterday donated N10
million to victims of last week’s suspected Boko Haram attack in Limankara village in Gwoza Local Government Area of the state.
Governor Kashim Shettima, represented by the Commissioner for Commerce and Investment, Dr Asabe Vilita, said he was deeply touched by the incident.
Receiving the donation, the District Head of the community, Mr Baba Lawan, thanked the government for the gesture, and pledged to be fair in the distribution of the money.
Lawan said that about 80 per cent of the houses in the community were burnt by the insurgents in addition to some places of worship.

Jigawa
The Jigawa State Government says it has approved the
release of N718.8 million to the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and the newly established State University in Kafin-Hausa.
The State Commissioner for Information, Youths and Sports, Alhaji Babandi Ibrahim, explained that N604.3 million was approved as a counterpart fund for SUBEB.
According to him, the Federal Government will also contribute to the fund to execute projects in primary and junior secondary schools across the state.
He said N114.5 million was approved for the newly established State University, Kafin-Hausa.
The commissioner said the fund was approved during the State Executive Council meeting held last Wednesday.
Ibrahim said the government was committed to providing quality education in the state.

Kaduna
Governor Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State last Thursday
directed the Ministries of Works, Land and Education to intervene in resolving the recent crisis in Kachia following a trespass on a Muslims’ prayer ground.
Yero gave the directive during a visit to the town after the crisis which led to loss of lives and property on Sunday.
The crisis erupted when part of the fence surrounding the Muslim prayer ground was allegedly pulled down by a Christian group, claiming that the fence had blocked access to their community.
Yero, in a statement signed by his Media aide, Alhaji Ahmed Maiyaki, directed the ministries to work together in resolving the issue.
The governor also called on people in the area to educate and prevent their children from engaging in violent acts and other social vices.
Katsina
A Sociology lecturer at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua
University, Katsina, Dr Kwaghmande Joseph, has said that Nigeria must tackle corruption in order to improve its image in the international community.
Joseph said this yesterday in a paper entitled: “The Challenges of Corruption on Ethical Practices and Values of Nigeria in the 21st Century.”
He presented the paper at an interactive summit on anti-corruption, ethics and values organised by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Values in collaboration with an NGO, Global Network, Monitoring and Development Initiative.
Earlier, the Executive Director of the NGO, Mr Muhammad Haruna, said the summit was organised for local government chairmen, vice chairmen and secretaries of councils in the state.
The Chairman of Faskari Local Government Council, Alhaji Isyaku Ahmad, averred that local councils should not be viewed as the most corrupt institution in the country.

Kebbi
The Kebbi State Government says it will spend N4
billion on the provision and improvement of infrastructure and social amenities, including water, electricity and roads in different parts of the state.
The Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Sani Kanya, who disclosed this to journalists in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday, said that out of the amount, about N1.2 billion would be spent on digitisation of equipment at the state-owned radio and television stations.
Kanya said a committee had been set up to ensure the installation of the digital equipment in the two stations by January 2015.
The commissioner said that the installation of the digital equipment was in line with the 2008 Geneva global rules for the replacement of analogue equipment in media organisations.

Kwara
Kwara State Government said it would spend N7.2 billion
on the Ilorin metropolis water reticulation project.
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Investment, Promotion and Strategy, Mr Yomi Ogunsola, said this at a news conference in Ilorin.
Ogunsola said the state government had spent more than N5.2 billion on the project, bringing it to about 98 per cent completion stage.
He said N2 billion would be used from the proposed N23 billion bond to complete the water project.
Ogunsola said the bond would also be spent on the renovation of 120 schools  and the  indoor Sports Hall of  the State Stadium Complex in Ilorin.

Lagos
The members of the Nigerian Association of Women
Journalists (NAWOJ) have elected, Mrs Ifeyinwa Omowole of the News Agency of Nigeria as its new president.
Omowole, polled 469 votes to defeat her opponent, Mrs Fatima Abdulkareem, who scored 198 votes in the 2014 NAWOJ elections in Badagry, Lagos.
In her acceptance speech yesterday, Omowole pledged to give NAWOJ a responsive leadership that would encourage capacity building of its members to enhance their profession.
She assured that her tenure would wear a human face, adding that the new executive would initiate a website for the association for global interactions.
Earlier, Malam Mohammad Garba, National President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), advised the new officers to embark on capacity building of their colleagues to be able to match the times.

Osun
Authorities of Osun State Polytechnic, (OSPOLY), Iree,
have directed the staff of the institution to resume administrative and academic activities today, Monday.
The Registrar, Mr Busari Salawu, who gave the directive last Thursday in Osogbo, said, “all members of staff are enjoined to resume at their respective duty posts on Monday, May 19.
“Students who are on mid-semester break are to resume for academic duties on the afore-mentioned date,” the statement added. It will be recalled that members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) have been on strike in the last 10 months.
The union is demanding increased welfare packages as well as improved funding of polytechnic education in the country.

Zamfara
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC),
said it had arrested a Principal, Mr Mahmud Gaya, for alleged illegal registration of 99 ‘students’ for WAEC, NECO and JSCE examinations.
The Public Relations Officer of Gusau Command of NSCDC, Mr Aminu Ismail, said on Thursday that Gaya is the principal of Alheri Group of Schools, Gusau, and that the matter was reported to the command by the school’s proprietress, Mrs Chioma Ugorji.
Ismail said Gaya registered 27 and 36 candidates for WAEC and NECO examinations respectively, while each of the students paid N16, 650.
When questioned, the principal admitted doing so, saying it was a mistake.
He said he assumed the position of school principal since December 2008 and had never been found wanting. “I am married and have three children.”
The NSCDC said the suspect would soon appear in court.

L-R: NUJ National President, Mr Garba Mohammed, National Publicity Secretary, APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Representative of President of Nigeria, Alhaji Garba Kakarfi and former NAWOJ National President, Mrs Asabe Baba-nahaja, at the opening of NAWOJ national delegates conference in Badagry, Lagos, last Saturday.

L-R: NUJ National President, Mr Garba Mohammed, National Publicity Secretary, APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Representative of President of Nigeria, Alhaji Garba Kakarfi and former NAWOJ National President, Mrs Asabe Baba-nahaja, at the opening of NAWOJ national delegates conference in Badagry, Lagos, last Saturday.

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Firefighters battle New Year Day inferno in Abuja, several states

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Federal Fire Service FFS entered the New Year on full operational alert, tackling multiple fire outbreaks across the country from midnight into the early hours of January 1, 2026, in what officials described as one of the busiest festive-season deployments in recent years.
The intensified nationwide response followed a December 2025 directive issued by the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Olumode Samuel Adeyemi, who had ordered that no firefighter should proceed on leave throughout the holidays.
According to a statement by the National Public Relations Officer and Head of Corporate Services of the FFS, DCF Paul Abraham, the no-leave policy proved critical as the Service moved swiftly to contain fires in several states.
The Federal Capital Territory FCT recorded its first fire incident of the year barely twenty-three minutes after midnight when flames erupted at Cake Hot Restaurant located within River Plate Park, Wuse, Abuja.
Abraham said fire crews from the Federal Fire Service and the FCT Fire Service arrived promptly and were able to stop the blaze before it could spread through the popular recreational centre.
While a section of the garden area was destroyed, no lives were lost and no injuries were recorded.
Officials said property worth an estimated ?1.5 billion was saved, although losses were placed at about ?500 million.
“Preliminary findings suggested that the fire was triggered by objects thrown during New Year celebrations, reinforcing long-standing warnings over the dangers posed by fireworks during the harmattan season”, the Service said.
The Controller General had repeatedly urged Nigerians to avoid fireworks, candles and open flames indoors, warning that the dry winds characteristic of the season allow fires to spread rapidly.
He also warned the public about electrical faults and power surges and advised that electrical appliances be switched off and unplugged when not in use or when occupants leave their homes, stressing that overloading sockets and extension boxes remains a significant cause of domestic fires.
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Enugu North LG chairman presents ?10.8bn 2026 Budget, prioritises roads …Security, Healthcare, Human Capital Development

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Chairman of Enugu North Local Government Area in Enugu State, Dr. Ibenaku Harford Onoh, has presented a Ten Billion Eight Hundred Million Naira (?10.8bn) 2026 budget to the legislative council of the local government.
The budget, tagged “Budget of Continued Growth and Consolidation,” was presented on Wednesday during a plenary session attended by councillors, department heads, and other stakeholders.
Dr. Onoh explained that the 2026 budget is designed to consolidate achievements recorded in 2025 while scaling up development across the council’s 13 wards. Priority areas include road infrastructure, grassroots security, healthcare delivery, youth empowerment, and digital governance.
He also reviewed the 2025 budget performance, highlighting significant revenue growth and successful completion of key projects. Notably, the council’s internally generated revenue more than doubled, attributed to the introduction of digital revenue collection platforms and other innovative measures.
Among the 2025 achievements, Dr. Onoh mentioned the reconstruction of major roads at European Quarters, Hilltop, Coal Camp, and Ukwa Street, Ihewuishi, as well as the upgrade of the local security architecture through the reorganisation of the neighbourhood watch into “The City Watch.”
On the 2026 budget, the chairman stated that projected revenue would come from statutory allocations, VAT, internally generated revenue, and counterpart funding through public-private partnerships.
He noted that capital expenditure would take the larger share of the budget, with over half allocated to the economic sector. Planned projects include:
Completion of transport terminals at Aria Market
Construction and reconstruction of urban roads
Establishment of two sports centres
Healthcare interventions
Youth skills development programmes.
Dr. Onoh emphasised that the projects, policies, and programmes outlined in the budget are aimed at complementing the initiatives of Governor Peter Ndubisi Mbah, who is setting standards for local government councils to follow.
Responding, the Leader of the Legislative Council, Rt. Hon. Chizoba Nnamani, said the budget would be carefully scrutinised in the interest of residents before its passage.
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Christians Convert To Islam or die As ISWAP burns down Christian village

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Christians in Adamawa have been asked to Convert to Islam or die as commanded by the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP).
.The ISWAP forcedly burnt down Christian village in Adamawa Nigeria as reported on January 1, 2026.
The Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP, has continued to wreak havoc on Christian communities in the Northeast, Nigeria.
This comes as ISWAP burned down a Christian village in Adamawa State.
A security expert, Brant Philip, disclosed this on Thursday in a viral video released by the terrorists.
“ISWAP released an image of one of the Christian villages in Adamawa State burning, alongside a statement saying that all Christians in Nigeria are legitimate targets, and they have an opportunity to “spare their blood” by converting to Islam or paying the jizyah tax to ISWAP,” Brant Philip wrote on X.
The move is perceived as retaliation for recent joint airstrikes by the Nigerian and United States military against a terrorist enclave in Sokoto, Nigeria.
Recall that five days ago, United States President Donald Trump announced that the US military launched airstrikes against terrorists in Sokoto State.
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